Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| sobre | /ˈsobɾe/ |
| en | /en/ /ˈem/ |
Both prepositions describe something positioned at or resting against an outer surface or attached to something. However, en is a versatile preposition that covers both 'on' (surface) and 'in' (inside) in many contexts. It is also the standard preposition used when saying you are 'on' a bus, train or plane, such as en el autobús.
Which one should you use?
En is the most common way to express location in everyday speech, covering both 'on' and 'in'. Use sobre when you want to be more specific and emphasize that an object is resting on top of a surface. Note that sobre can also mean 'over' or 'about'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsobɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often attempt to use sobre for every instance of 'on', but in everyday spoken Spanish, en is much more frequent for simple locations.
Did you know?
- The word sobre actually contains the linguistic DNA of the English word 'super', as both descend from the same Proto-Indo-European roots meaning 'above'.
- When describing a person's location in a city, saying en la calle can mean you are 'on the street' or simply 'out in public'.
- Because sobre can also mean 'about', using it to mean 'on' (as in 'a book on biology') can create ambiguity with 'a book about biology'.
Examples in context
- Está en el sofá.It's on the sofa.This sentence shows how to use en to indicate something is on a sofa.Tatoeba #793295 by Shishir, translation #43241 by CK
- Está en la mesa.It's on the table.This sentence uses en to describe an object's position on a table.Tatoeba #2032455 by Shishir, translation #1871551 by Asma
- Vivo en la luna.I live on the moon.This sentence demonstrates using en to say someone lives on the moon.Tatoeba #10031302 by manufrutos, translation #10031143 by shekitten
- Me gusta tener la luz prendida cuando leo.I like to have the light on when I read.
- 5281 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are organizing their new apartment.
- Mateo¿Dónde pongo esta lámpara, María?Where do I put this lamp, María?
- MaríaPonla sobre la cómoda.Put it on the dresser.
- MateoVale, la pongo sobre la cómoda.Okay, I'll put it on the dresser.
- MaríaGracias, Mateo, queda muy bien.Thanks, Mateo, it looks very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “on” translations and entries sobre, en, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, sobre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
